Yes, I see modern releases in theaters sometimes. In this case, a very good yet sparsely attended theater. Perhaps not many people care to see a movie about a theoretical physicist. Or a man who can move less and less as the story continues (which of course feels much faster on screen). Or both. It did remind me at times of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, the most depressing movie I ever...loved. But TToE is much less depressing, and not just because the protagonist is still alive.
I didn't know much about Stephen Hawking beyond his occasional mentions in the past decade's news, which have been head-shakingly trivial. Now I have the foggiest ideas of his theories. What's most interesting to a lay viewer like me is that he made a point to contradict his own past theories, as if to illustrate a Douglas Adams sense of humor (he really can be funny when he wants). I appreciate that; it beats a worship of unproven "science." That said, I don't know that he's ever contributed anything for practical applications rather than mere shared thoughts.
From what I gather, the film takes very few, very unimportant liberties with the source material. Given that the main source is Hawking's ex-wife, I would assume a bit of bias; but given his strong approval, it must not amount to much. For the most part, it just means less focus on the details of physics and more on the relationship between the characters.
If it weren't based on a true story, we could expect a more idyllic, moralistic conclusion. Alas, the love that drove a young woman to choose a husband and have three kids with him despite both his ALS and his (shaky) atheism did not last the rest of their lives: Both spouses strayed emotionally toward helpers. We must content ourselves with the fact that they remain friends after divorce.
"OK," you may be thinking, "enough about the plot; what about the presentation?" We can certainly anticipate an Academy Award for Eddie Redmayne, partly due to the Academy's historical preference for disabled characters and real-life geniuses. Redmayne did face a bigger challenge than Russell Crowe in A Beautiful Mind. It's almost a shame, since he can't help drawing our attention away from other actors, the director, and anyone else who may be doing a good job. I can hardly comment on them.
All in all, TToE might be the best film anyone could make on the subject. Anything much different would be either too false or too...uncinematic.
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